Continuous wire-drawing machine



Feb. 11, 1930. R, 1 MORGAN 1,746,490

CONTINUOUS WIRE DRAWING MACHINE m ZE. ZT. WOIya/z g 8g mm1/al Feb. 11,1930. i R, L, MORGAN 1,746,490

CONTINUOUS WIRE DRAWING MACHINE lFiled March 4, 1924 l 2 sheets-sheet 2 f2 r n l 55 J9 V 67 Y 2 5.5- 66 @L Z '6o @s k @5 5L Tf-. 2.77507 an v Py mwa.

Patented Feb. 11, 1930 RALPH L. MORGAN, lOlli WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS CONTINUOUS WIRE-DRAWING MACHINE Application mea maren 4, 1924. serial mi. 696,876.

This invention relates to a wire drawing machine and in certain features it relates more particularly to a machine of the continuous type in which two or more successivedrawing operations may be performed during a single run of the wire. Spch machines as heretofore built have been limited in speed of operation by the uneven and irregular delivery of wire thereto from creels or coils containing loosely and poorly arranged turns of wire. 4

It is one object of my invention to provid a machine in which one or more straightening blocks are provided-from which wire may be delivered to the dies and usual drawing blocks of a wire drawing machine at much higher speed than has been heretofore possible.

Preferably a plurality of such straightening blocks .will be provided which may be independently operated to receive or deliver wire as desired. With this arrangement, one straightening block may deliver wire to the drawing machine while one or more other straightening blocks are winding on a fresh supply of wire.

These straightening blocks may be used simply for straightening the wire and removing kinks therefrom or may be used as single draft roughing blocks when an additional reduction is required.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved friction delivery device for a drawing block so constructed that it may be conveniently operated manually, after thethreading of the blocks, to accumulate a desired wire storage upon-each block. The delivery device thereafter automatically deliv-y ers the wire required for thenext succeeding die and block and compensates for any vari` ation in the draft between the two blocks.

My improved friction delivery device also enables me to operate the machine with a slipping action as it is being started up and to thereafter change each block from a slipping to an accumulative action without interrupting the operation of the machine. I

am thus able to reduce the time required for starting up the machine with a new piece of wire and can thus substantially increase the output of the-machine.

A still further object of my invention relates to the provision of an improved friction connection for the storage reel of a continuous wire drawing machine, this connection being so constructed that the friction will be gradually increased and the load will thus be picked up by a gradually increasing pull on the block and without sudden and uneven strain on th`e'wire.

' With these and other objects in view, my invention relatesmore specifically to certain arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of my improved wire drawing machine;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view, taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and 70 Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the storage reel and friction device.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a wire drawing machine of the continuous type having a bed or frame 10 supporting 75 a'plurality of upright shafts 10a positively connected by gears of suitable size as indicated in Fig. 1, said gears being continuously rotated by an electric motor 11 or in any other suitable manner. 80

At the left hand end of the machine a series of three straightening blocks or reels 12, 13 and 14 are provided, each of which is mounted upon one of the upright shafts 10a which is continuously rotated as previously described.

-Each shaft 10a has a cross pin 16 at its upper end and each reel as 14 has a center bearing sleeve 17 having undercut notches or recesses at its upper end adapted to be engaged by the cross pin 16 when the reel is raised. w

When it is desired to wind wire upon one of the blocks 12, 13 or 14, one end of a coil of wire is secured to the block in any convenient manner and the block is then raised to cause the notched upper end of the bearing sleeve 17 to engage the cross pin 16 which thereafter drives the block so long as there is any pull or resistance to rotation by winding the wire thereon. lVhen the whole length of wire has been wound on the block and there is no longer any resistance to rotation, the weight of the block will cause it to drop, releasing it from the cross pin 16, whereupon it comes to rest. A roughingl die 20 may be provided for each straightening block if desired, so that the wire may be given a single reduction as it is straightened and wound upon the straightening block.

The wire from a desired block is thereafter drawn upward under a friction ring 21, through a guide 22, over a roller 23, and around a guide pulley 24 to a die 25 and drawing block 26. Vhile the wire is being thus drawn olf of a straightening block, as 14, the block remains stationary and the wire is uncoiled over the end of the block. At the same time the other two straightening blocks 12 and 13 may be receiving a supply of wire to be thereafter delivered to the drawing blocks.

For each drawing block 26, 27 and 28 there is provided an upright shaft 29 upon which a sleeve 30 is mounted. The sleeve 30 for the block 28 is positively driven by direct gearing from the motor 11 previously described and is also connected by suitable gearing to drive the blocks 27 and 26 at the desired speed ratio. Each winding drum or block, as 28, is mounted on its shaft 29 above its sleeve 30 and is connected for positive rotation thereby.

A delivery device 32 is loosely mounted above the block 28 and is held in frictional engagement therewith by a centering and fastenin device 33. Each device 32 is provided wlth a handle 34 having a delivery passage through the center thereof. As the wire leaves each drum 26, 27 or 28 it passes upward through the associated handle 34 to a guide 36 and drum 37 and is then brought down to a guide pulley 38 by which it is conducted to the next drawing die 39, 40 or 41. The drawinV blocks 26, 27 and 28 are substantially i entical in construction but are driven at different relative speeds.

The storage drum or block 42 is somewhat differently constructed and is shown in enlarged section in Fig. 3. In this construction, a shaft or stud is rotatably mounted in the lbed 10 of the machine and a gear 51 is keyed thereto. A second gear 52 is keyed to the gear 51, the gear 52 being rotated by the motor 11 and the gear 51 transmitting power to the drawing blocks previously described.

A shaft 53 is rotatable in a fixed bearing 54 above the gear 51 and is provided with an enlarged flange 55 at its lower end. The reduced upper end of the shaft 50 also has a bearing in an axial recess in the shaft 53. A conical head 56 is fixed to the upper end of the shaft 53 and the storage drum or block 42 its thereon and has frictional driving engagement therewith.

The shaft 53 has a limited axial sliding movement in its support 01 bearing 54 and a hand wheel 58 is provided for raising and lowering the shaft 53 and the winding drum supported thereby. The hand wheel 58 is threaded on the 'outside of the bearing 54 and has an annular surface 59 positioned to engage a similar surface on the conical head 56. A friction plate 60 is secured by a plurality of studs 6l to the gear 51 and is supported in spaced relation above the gear by plungers 62 actuated by springs 63 which at their lower ends engage the gear 52. The center of the disc 60 is open to permit the attachment of a second friction disc 65 by studs 66 to the lower face of the flange 55 on the shaft 53. The disc 65 and flange 55 are held in spaced relation by springs 67 seated in pockets in the lower end of the shaft 53.

The operation of this improved friction drive is as follows After the machine has been threaded up and the wire has been drawn through each of the drawinvr blocks, the end of the wire is secured to the storage drum or block 42 and the hand wheel 58 is then rotated to lower the storage drum and its shaft 53 relative to the bearing'54 and driving gear 51.

As the shaft 53 and flange 55 are lowered, the lower face of the flange 55 will first engage th'e upper face of the friction disc 60 which is being positively rotated by the gear 51. A certain amount of driving friction will then be developed to start the drum 42 in rotation. As the shaft 53 is lowered still further, the weight of the shaft and winding "drum acting upon the disc 60 will depress the disc 60 against the spring lungers 62 and will thus move the disc 65 own until it engages the upper surface ofthe gear 51, forming a second frictional engagement and thereby increasing the speed of rotation of the drum. Further downward movement of the shaft 53 will compress the springs 67 as well as the springs 63, thus causin the adjacent faces of the discs 60 and 65 to e frictionally engaged, thereby adding a third friction contact for rotating the winding drum.

By this provision of three successively engaged friction surfaces, I am able to start the winding drum without jerks and sudden strains u on the wire, so that there is no danger o breaking the wire when starting up the machine.

Vhen it is desired to stop the drum, it is merely necessary to grasp and rotate the hand wheel 58. sufficiently to raise the drum land disengage the friction driving surfaces.

Such upward movement of the drumby the hand wheel is definitely limited by the engagement of the flanged lower end 55 of the shaft 53 with the lower end of the fixed bearing 54.

A suitable crane may lbe provided for removing the drums 42 as they are successively filled with wire. Locking levers 71 (Fig. 2) are pivoted at 72 atl the rear of the machine and may be independently swung downward into position to prevent rotation of the friction delivery devices 32.

The use and opera-tion of my improved friction delivery device is as follows: When a new piece of wire is to be threaded up, the end of the wire is drawn from the straightening block 12, 13 or 14 and is pointed and threaded through the first die 25, after which it may be secured to the block 26, which is given a few revolutions to place two or three coils upon the drum 26 and to provide for leadin the wire over the drum 37 and around the guide pulley 38 to the next die 39. The same operation is then repeated for the dies 39, 40 and 41 and the end ofthe wire may then be secured to the storage drum 42.

During this time, the locking levers 71 are swung down to operative vposition and prevent rotation of the delivery devices 32. The wire thus slips around the blocks 26, 27 and 28 instead of being coiled thereon for delivery from the end of the block. After the machine has been threaded up and is started in operation, the operator throws up the locking lever associated with the irst winding block 26 and grasps the handle 34 of the delivery device 32, rotating the same manually to wind onto the-block any desired accumulationof coils, after which the delivery device 32 is. left free to rotate by friction with the drawing block 26. Each delivery device 32 is thus successively unlocked and wire is thus successively accumulated upon each ofthe drawing blocks 26, 27 and 28.

Thereafter the machine runs continuously, the friction delivery devices 32 adjusting themselves relatively to the winding drum to take up any inequalities in the delivery of wire to or from any one of the winding drums. The relativespeed is preferably such that a slight further accumulation occurs as the drawing proceeds.

y When the wire on the straightening block is exhausted, the machine may be immediately re-threaded with wire from one of the other straightening blocks, while the empty block is being rewound. By vthe provision of the preliminary roughing or -straightening blocks, together with the friction delivery devices and means for manual operation thereof, I am able to run the machine at much greaterspeed than has been heretofore 'customary and also to thread up the machine with a much reduced loss of time. A

very considerable saving arises from the fact that the machine is started as of the slipping type and is thereafter changed to the u ncoiling type without stopping the machlne.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what Y dependently to accumulate wire thereon, wire drawing mechanism, and means to remove the wire substantially axially from a selected straightening block and to guide the wire toy said' drawingmechanism while said block is stationary.

' 3. A wire drawingmachine having, in combination, a plurality of preliminary straightening` blocks, driving means to independently rotate said blocks to accumulate wire thereon, said driving means being automatically disconnected when the winding of a given piece of wire is completed, wire drawing mechanism, and means for causing delivery of wire from a selected straightening block to said drawing mechanism.

4. In a continuous wire drawing machine,

a winding drum, a driven member rotatable about the axis of said drum, and friction driving connections concentric with said drum and forming a direct connection between said member and drum, said driving connections being effective to Vincrease the driving force on said drum by definite successive increments.

5. In a continuous wire drawing machine, a winding drum, a driven member, and friction driving connections betweenv said member and drum, saidconnections comprising a plurality of friction surfaces, and 'means to icsl cause successive and cumulative driving engagement thereof and to thereby progressively increase the/extent of the area of friction surfaces in active driving contact.

6. In a continuous wire drawing machine, a winding drum, a driven member, and friction driviiig connection between said member and drum, said connections comprising a plurality of friction surfaces, and means Vto cause successive and cumulative driving engagement thereof in a predetermined orderv i ,of contact and to thereby progressively insists in placing a few turns of wireon each crease the extent of the area of friction surfaces in active driving contact.

7. In a continuous wire drawing machine, a winding drum, a driven member, and friction driving connections between said member and drum, said connections comprisin a friction head rotatable and axially mova le with said drum, a friction disc yieldingly separated from said head but rotatable and axially movable with said head, and a second friction plate yieldingly mounted and rotatable with said driving member and positioned between said friction head and said first mentioned friction plate but normally out of engagement therewith.

8. The method of drawing wire which conof a series of block having separate delivery devices, holding said devices from rotation, successively releasing each delivery device and manually rotating the same to accumulate coils of wire on its block, and in thereafter frictionally rotating each delivery device with its winding block, whereby said machine operates first by slipping and thereafter by uncoiling.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

RALPH L. MORGAN. 

